1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bill acceptor for use in an automatic vending machine and more specifically, to a design of face panel for bill acceptor that has a finger guide portion for the insertion of a finger to bias a jammed license out of the insertion slot.
2. Description of the Related Art
Following fast development of technology, our mode of living has been changed, and everything requires efficiency, time saving and quickness. In consequence, different automatic vending machines are used everywhere to sell different products without serviceman. These automatic vending machines are highly invited for the advantage of saving much labor and bringing convenience to people. Nowadays, Q-shops are seen in many places to provide different services to consumers. A Q-shop has the advantages of scientific intelligence, quick service and quick finish of payment. A Q-shop may provide automatic vending machines for vending drinks, cigarettes, tickets, ice creams, memorial coins, key rings, or even hamburgers and noodles. Further, many virtual shops are established to make online shopping, allowing shoppers to shop across millions of products.
However, regular vending machines do not limit the sales to any person of any age. Therefore, regular vending machines commonly sell popular goods such as fruit juice, beverages, carbonated beverages, food, etc. These vending machines cannot sell age-controlled merchandises, such as cigarettes or alcohol drinks, or other controlled merchandises, such as drugs, strong acid/alkaline detergent or other hazardous items. To prohibit young children from buying age-controlled merchandises or unqualified people from buying controlled items, a vending machine for vending age-controlled or controlled merchandises must be equipped with a license recognition device to recognize the age and identity of the user. Before insertion of a bill into the insertion slot on the face panel of the machine, the user must insert a license (driver's license, ID card, insurance card, etc.) into the same insertion slot for enabling the license recognition device to recognize the age and identity of the user. After the age (for example, over 18 years old) and identity of the user has been checked, the user is allowed to insert a bill into the insertion slot to make a trade.
When inserting a bill or license into the insertion slot of the machine, the bill or license must be kept a smooth condition. When inserting a wrinkled bill or license, the bill or license will be rejected by the vending machine. Further, because there are differences in length, if the power supply or vending machine fails upon insertion of a bill or license into the insertion slot of a vending machine, the inserted bill or license may be jammed inside the insertion slot and cannot be retrieved directly, complicating the maintenance work. A push-push mechanism may be installed in the insertion slot to eliminate this problem. When a bill or license is jammed in the insertion slot or the front side of the transmission mechanism, the push-push mechanism can be operated to return the inserted bill or license. However, because the width of the insertion slot is simply slightly greater than the width of the acceptable bill, there is no room for the push-push mechanism, and therefore the push-push mechanism must be installed in the bill passage. In order to accommodate the push-push mechanism, the bill passage must be widened. However, widening the bill passage may complicate the alignment of the inserted bill or license and relatively lower the security level of the machine. Further, because the push-push mechanism has a complicated structure comprised of a number of component parts, the installation of the push-push mechanism greatly increases the cost of the vending machine.
Further, when inserting a bill or license into the insertion slot of a vending machine, the user must aim the bill or license at the insertion slot accurately. During the daylight or under a bright environment, it is easy to aim a bill or license at the insertion slot of a vending machine and then to insert the bill or license into the insertion slot accurately. However, it is inconvenient to smoothen a wrinkled bill or license and then to insert the bill or license into the insertion slot of a vending machine during the night or under a dim environment.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an automatic vending machine that eliminates the aforesaid problems.